DIABETES

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. And yet there is nothing catching about it. You and I cannot get it from anyone else. Rather, the healthcare community now knows that type 2 diabetes is caused by the things we do, the way we live.

The CDC’s “Fast Facts on Diabetes” (http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/) reports the following statistics for 2015.

Test before snacking

Diabetes prevalence is increasing at a rapid rate. More and more people are having to check their blood sugars and take action to control it.

Diabetes affected 8.3% of the U.S. population in 2010 and in 2015, that rate has gone up to 9.4%. Almost 1.9 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes. And the CDC estimates 84.5 million American adults of that same age group have the symptoms of prediabetes!  Nearly half or 48.4% of adults, aged 65 and holder, have prediabetes while more than 25% of that age group has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. More men than women have prediabetes.

Why is this significant?

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, of new cases of blindness among adults and for non-traumatic amputations of the lower extremities. Diabetes is also a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

What can you do about this?

Type 2 diabetes is preventable. Studies have shown that people with prediabetes who lose weight and increase their physical activity can prevent this disease. Take the challenge to learn about this disease process and to learn scientifically proven ways to reverse insulin resistance. Check with your physician to be sure you can safely exercise. Then increase your activity every day which can help you lose weight. Read more here for some tips on getting started.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2017.